Enter The Nexus
by D.D. Heal
Summary: Dr. Nexus, a superhero from the 1940s and sorcerer mage of the Earth dimension sacrifices his life in order buy Earth some time. Now, it's up Ben and the group to pick up the pieces and find a new successor and defend Earth from the Merciful Fate.
1. Chapter 1

One

The One They Called Nexus

There's a story that Grandpa Max use to tell me and Ben when we were young. It's about the Great Ones, a superhero team from the 1940s who helped the allies during the Second World War. There was one hero he specifically told us and that is Dr. Nexus, the sorcerer mage of the Earth dimension. For over five thousand years, Dr. Nexus has defended the Earth from numerous threats. But now, the current bearer, David Nelson Robinson is getting older and he doesn't have much time left.

I visited my brother Ken in his dormitory at college. "Hey big brother, I just came back to say hello." I noticed something is wrong. "Are you okay? Is something bothering you?" I asked.

"Despite all the therapy, I just can't over what I did," he answered.

"What happened to you wasn't your fault. I and Ben take full responsibility for what's happened," I said.

Despite all my reassurances, Ken doesn't listen, I left knowing that I'll be late for a tennis match. Somewhere in one of the dimensions, the current Dr. Nexus is fighting for his life in a one on one battle with his lifelong foe, John Dee.

"You should've retired a long time ago, David," John said.

"And let you and your master rule the Earth? I don't think so," he said.

He casts a spell on John, with little effect. "Is that the best you got? You're getting old, give up," John said.

John then casts a spell, but Dr. Nexus manages to deflect it. He senses another enemy of his, the Merciful Fate trying to get through. _Give up; you cannot beat me,_ it said.

Back on Earth, I watched the tennis match, with Kevin and Ben. Every swing Julie makes is one more step to ensuring victory. Dr. Nexus is running out of options and time. His assistant, a mechanical owl named Nimbus arrives. "Master, are you all right?" he asked.

"To be truthful, I'm not. I'm running out of time. The Merciful Fate and his servant John Dee are getting close to Earth. If they do, then I fear the consequences will be dire. At least I can buy the Earth some time. What do you say, old friend. Are you up for one more spell," Dr. Nexus asked.

"Master, you can't be serious. There's no guarantee that you'll survive," he said.

"Getting going and get help. I'll buy you enough time," Dr. Nexus said.

Dr. Nexus then casts a power spell, preventing the Merciful Fate from the entering the Earth. Back on Earth, I fainted after Nexus cast that spell. Kevin and Men tried to wake me up, but to avail. I was rushed to the hospital. At the local park, Nexus and Nimbus barely escaped the dimension with their lives. Nexus then sits, breathing heavily and hard, knowing that his time.

"We had so many adventures together, my old friend. But at least I bought the Earth some time. But it won't last," he said.

"Hold on master. I'll get help," Nimbus said.

"It's too late." He then removes his helmet. "Now it's time for me to find a successor. Goodbye, Nimbus," he coughed.

He then passes away. "Master, no," Nimbus cried.

The helmet then magically floats in the air and shoots into the air like a shooting star. Over at the hospital, Ben and Kevin looked at me, knowing that there's nothing they can do.

"What could cause this?" Ben wondered.

"I've seen a lot of biological weapons during my time selling goods on the black-market. It could've something along those lines," Kevin said.

"If that's case, would it affect us too?" Ben asked.

"Good point, so it's not a biological weapon," he answered.

A man in a suit then enters the room. "It's not biological weapons, if that's what you're wondering." He then shows them his badge. "I'm Agent Henry Walsh of Special Projects," Henry said.

Ben then becomes hostile, but Kevin calms him down. "These are the good guys. They helped me and Gwen out when you went rogue," he said.

"I'm still coming to terms that I helped a terrorist," Ben said.

"Well, guilt is a funny thing. As for your next question, the Colonel couldn't come because he's in Washington, kick-starting a project he's working on. Also, as you already know, Carter is on assignment. There's a reason why I'm here, to investigate what causing all of this," he stated.

"Wait, you mean there's more?" Ben asked.

"It's happening around the country. But we did manage to find a connection. Every victim has some magical ability," he said.

"Well, that's a start," Ben said.

"Your cousin isn't the first victim. The first victim is down the hall in a private room with some of my men guarding the door," he said.

"So we can't go in?" Kevin asked.

"Exactly, we're keeping close watch on her." Henry's cell phone rang and he answers it. "Hello, I'll be right there." He then puts his cell phone away. "Something just came up. I'm afraid I have to take a slight detour before I can resume this assignment. Catch you later," he said.

Henry then leaves the hospital. "So what now? You know Gwen better than me. Where would you think we start?" Ben asked.

"There's a shop not far from here where Gwen usually gets her magical supplies from. It's called the Inner Circle," Kevin answered.

"You mean that cheap magic shop? I'm not so sure," Ben said.

"Come on," Kevin said.

They the hospital and they head over to the Inner Circle. When they enter the shop, they find it empty. "Okay, so much for the Inner Circle," Ben said.

"Let's check the back." They enter the back of the store and they discovered a makeshift hospital, full of comatose people. "Okay, this is worse," Kevin said.

"Much worse I'm afraid." The manager then walks up to them. "You must be Ben Tennyson. I'm a huge fan of your work and you must be Kevin Levin. Gwen always mentions you two during our conversations. My name is Alistair Shaw, owner and proprietor of the Inner Circle, at your service," he answered.

"Does the back of the store always have a hospital?" Ben asked.

"Not regularly. When I noticed that my customers began to faint suddenly. I better make use of the backroom and use as a makeshift hospital. It's happening to everyone with a supernatural ability," he said.

"That part we already know. What we want to know is what's causing it?" Kevin asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine. I've been hitting the books since it happened and I came up with a blank. There're a number of theories, but it's not either of those," he answered.

"So you have no idea what's causing it?" Ben asked.

"That's what I'm saying, but I've been trying to get hold of a expert who knows about this stuff than me. Unfortunately, he ain't home," Alistair answered.

"Okay, what's their name?" Kevin asked.

"His name is Dr. Nexus, sorcerer mage of the Earth dimension. He's spent most of his life defending this world from numerous supernatural threats. Recently, his health began to deteriorate, which is making the Earth more vulnerable to a supernatural attack. He does however have a residence outside Bellwood." Alistair gets Dr. Nexus's address out of the address book and gives it to Ben. "If you do go up, I would steer clear of the mansions defences," he answered.

"What kind of defences?" Ben asked.

"You should be all right, but its Kevin I'm worried. Since you use to a villain, the mansion doesn't take too kindly to evil doers, whether they're reformed or not," he answered.

We left the Inner Circle and drove to the mansion as the address said. We were terrified by its design. "He lives in there," Ben said.

"Come on, Scooby. Let's solve this mystery and you may get a Scooby Snack," Kevin said sarcastically. They drove up to the driveway and they got out of the car. The gargoyles suddenly came alive and they dropped down to the ground.

"You dare enter these grounds, villain," one of the gargoyles said.

"I'm not a villain," Ben said.

"Not you, Ben Tennyson. We're referring to Kevin," the other gargoyle answered.

"Hold on, I've made a lot of mistakes, but I've change, I'm reformed," he said.

"Leave these grounds, now!" they shouted.

Nimbus then flies into the estate and lands on the ground. "Stand down immediately," he said.

"A talking mechanical bird, what will they think of next?" Ben said.

"Our apologies, Nimbus, where is Dr. Nexus?" they asked.

"I'm afraid he's dead," he answered.

"That doesn't sound too good," Kevin said.

"It's best we discuss this indoors," Nimbus said.

Ben, Kevin and Nimbus enter the mansion and they entered the the study. They sat down on the armchairs, while Nimbus porches himself on the mantelpiece. "Nice mansion, I could get use to this," Kevin said.

"We're not here for your amusement. We're to find out why Gwen and everyone with a magical ability is suddenly falling into a coma," Ben said.

"Nexus knew this would happen," Nimbus stated.

"What would happen?" he asked.

"Well, Nexus cast a very powerful spell that prevented the Merciful Fate from entering out world. As a side effect, everyone with a magical ability will likely to fall into a coma, the effect is only temporary," Nimbus answered.

"That still doesn't explain how he died," Kevin pointed out.

"He sacrificed his life in order to buy the Earth some time. As we speak, the helm is currently searching the galaxy for the next Dr. Nexus," Nimbus said.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Out of curiosity, who is the Merciful Fate?" he asked.

"The Merciful Fate is an ancient interdimensional demon who spreads terror and fear into the hearts of every living being. For over five thousand years, Dr. Nexus has defended Earth from this being and his current servant, John Dee, an English alchemist who discovered the secrets to immortality and unnatural power. Recently, Dr. Nexus defeated them and like I said, he bought the Earth some time," Nimbus answered.

Kevin's cell phone, he answers it and puts it away again. "That was the hospital, Gwen has just woken up," Kevin said.

"We're going to need to come with us, Nimbus," Ben said.

"Of course," he said.

They drove back to the hospital as Nimbus explains the situation to Gwen and she's having a hard time coping with David Nelson Robinson's death.

"I can't believe he's gone. Have there been any threats so far?" I asked.

"Not that I'm aware of. Although I do sense John Dee trying to break free and he's getting close," Nimbus answered.

"We don't have a lot of time," I said.

I tried to get up, but I struggled. "Easy, you just woke up," Kevin said.

"I don't have time to worry about my health. But I'm concerned that the helm may not pick a successor in time," she said.

"What happens if it doesn't?" Ben asked.

"Then every spell or seal Dr. Nexus conjure up is about to be broken. Causing a rift in the space/time continuum and sending a wave of demons throughout the universe," I answered.

"That's bad," Ben said.

"Let me get change first." Minutes later, Gwen gets dressed and we left the ward. "If we hurry, we might prevent something bad from happening," I said.

We stopped for a moment. "Hold on, the guards guarding the door have left. We might as well take a look inside," Ben said.

Ben opens the door and to our shock, we found Charmcaster in a comatose and hooked up to a contraption. "I knew Henry was hiding something," Kevin said.

"What have they got Charmcaster on?" I asked.

"I've seen this before. It's called White Fluid, it's a sedative designed to cause a person's powers to backfire if they use them. It's designed for interrogations and I spent two days hooked up to it. Getting her out of it is easy, but we must be careful. One false move and she could go into cardiac arrest," Kevin answered.

"In other words, she'll die?" I asked.

"Exactly, first we need to shut down the feed." Ben then shuts down the feed. "Next, remove the tubes carefully." I and Kevin remove the tubes. "It takes a while for their powers to be restored to normal levels. In theory, she should be waking up," Kevin said.

Charmcaster then wakes up. "Where am I? Oh it's you three and who's the mechanical bird?" she asked.

"This is Nimbus, Dr. Nexus's assistant. You were in a coma and hooked up to White Fluid," I answered.

"Oh great, it can take a while for my power to restore to their normal levels. Do any of you know what's happening?" she asked.

"We better keep this short and brief. Dr. Nexus is dead, the helm is searching for a successor and there's a chance that a full scale apocalypse can happen any minute," Ben answered.

"That's not good. If he's dead, then the laws of magic are beginning to unravel. Making everything possible,"

We then felt a tremor. "What was that, an earthquake?" Ben asked.

"I don't think so, its John Dee, he's escaped," Nimbus answered.

"What about the Merciful Fate?" Kevin asked.

"The seals are still there, but every known demon Dr. Nexus has banished has been set free," he answered.

They heard a scream and we looked out of the window to find an army of demons wrecking the place outside.

"If the helm doesn't find a successor soon, then this world and every planet will be destroyed. I know we're enemies, but we need to put aside our differences," Charmcaster said.

"I hate to say, but she's right. We'll wait outside," I said.

Minutes later, Charmcaster arrives outside the entrance. "What's the situation like, Nimbus?" I asked.

"Not good, the balance is leaning towards chaos and just about every demon free, except for the Merciful Fate," he answered.

"We should split up to cover more ground. Ben, take Nimbus and do what you do best. Charmcaster and Kevin will be with me," I suggested.

"Hold on, our top priority is to find the next Dr. Nexus, not handle crowd control," she said.

"I have to agree with the evil one, no offense. But Dr. Nexus is the only one that can restore order." Nimbus then senses something. "I don't believe, the helm is heading back to Earth. It must be making the final decision. Once its made, it can't be undone," he said.

A shooting star then shot passed and it head north of the here. "Whoa, what was that?" Ben asked.

"That must be the helm. From the look of things, it's heading north," she said.

"North, at that velocity, it's slowing down." I then realised something. "Oh no, I know where the helm is heading. If we hurry, we might make it," I said.

We're about to make our way to the college when we were confronted by John Dee.

"Well now, this is an unexpected pleasure, Nimbus. I didn't think you would turn to a few strangers for help," John said.

"You and your master will not succeed," he said.

"I beg to differ," John said.

He fires a energy blast, but Charmcaster deflects. "Listen to me carefully. Get to the college, I'll buy you some time," she said.

"But," I said.

"No buts, now go," she yelled.

We left the area, while Charmcaster holds her ground against John Dee. At the college, we arrived at the college, but there was no sign of the helm.

"I can't see the helm anyway," I said.

"You're sure this is the right place?" Kevin asked.

"I'm sure," I answered.

The helm then flew passed us and it entered the dormitory where Ken is staying. A light glows brightly. "Ken, hold on, I'm coming to rescue you," I said.

"The decision has been made." The glass shatters as my brother became the new Dr. Nexus. "Oh master, it's good to see you again," he said.

I then sense a golem coming. "We're not alone," I said.

The golem then walks up to us and the new Dr. Nexus. "I knew the voids of death couldn't hold you, Doctor. Now die!" the golem yelled.

He rushes in for the attack, but Dr. Nexus manages to save me and everyone by using a teleportation spell to send the creature back to the underworld.

"Gwen, what's happening to me? And why am I wearing a costume?" Ken panicked.

"It's okay, just calm down and anything will be." A light shines as he reverts back to his normal self and faints to the ground. "Fine," I said.

"Not bad for his first night on the job," Nimbus said.

I was angered by his remark. "First night on the job? Listen here, my brother is not a superhero, he doesn't have any powers, until that helm changed him," I yelled.

"We need to get out of here before John Dee finds out the bearer has been chosen," Kevin said.

"Yes of course." Nimbus uses a teleportation spell to transport us back to the mansion. "At least we're safe at the mansion," he said.

"How safe?" Ben asked.

"The mansion has ninety nine seals to prevent evil entities from breaking in," he answered.

"You're okay?" Kevin asked

"Does it look like I'm okay? I don't know what to believe anymore. Just leave me be, I got some thinking to do," I said.

I left the mansion to have a walk around the grounds. "I never seen Gwen this upset," Kevin said.

"Ken is everything to her, not just an older brother. Can I ask you something, Nimbus? Does the helm make a mistake when it comes to picking a successor?" Ben asked.

"Rarely, the helm tends to judge characteristics first before making a decision. Like I said, once the decision is made, it can't be undone," he answered.

"Nimbus, we have an intruder outside the gates. It's a girl with platinum hair," one of the gargoyles yelled.

"Send her in," he said.

Charmcaster enters the mansion and heads up to where we are. "I managed to hold off John as I long as I could. What's worse is that one of the seals that prevent the Merciful Fate escaping has been broken," she said.

"Oh no, if the other two seals are broken, the Merciful Fate could be set free," he said.

"And that's bad, right?" Ben asked.

"Yes indeed," he answered.

"Where's Gwen?" she asked.

"She's walking around the grounds. Still coping with the fact that her brother just became the new Dr. Nexus," Ben answered.

She notices Ken lying on the ground. "Wow, he's hot," she said.

"Charmcaster," Ben said, angrily.

"Right sorry, I'll go and check up on Gwen," she said.

She left the mansion. "How will it take for him to wake up?" Kevin said.

"To be honest, this rarely happens. When David Nelson Robinson was selected, he jumped at the opportunity," he answered.

"Let's hope Gwen cheers up," Ben said.

Outside the mansion, in the gardens, I was crying over the fact my brother became the new Dr. Nexus.

"If you're here to cheer me up, it isn't going to work," I said.

Charmcaster walks over to me. "Relax, I met your brother and boy, he's a real looker." I looked at her angrily. "I meant that in a good way. Look, you don't need to get worked up on it. Everything will work out fine," she said.

"Fine, he barely survived the last encounter with an alien and what worse, he nearly became a DNAlien. I'd nearly lost him, now it's happening again," I said.

"You know something; I met him once, well his predecessor. My father tried to enlist his help in saving my home world. But he declined, saying that its fall is a fixed point in time and there's nothing that he can do about. At first, I resented him because he wasn't there to save my father or my people. In time, Hex told me how important his existence is," she said.

"I find that hard to believe. You know magic inside and out, is there to appeal against the decision?" I asked

"Unfortunately no," she answered.

Back in Bellwood, the town is still in chaos at John Dee standing on top of a skyscraper. The Merciful Fate makes contact with John. _One of the seals has been broken, what is taking you so long to find me the helm._

"That's a lot difficult. The helm has found a successor," John said.

_Has he. This could work to my advantage. It'll be a matter of time before I'm free. If you can convince his successor to join us. It'll speed up the process_.

"What if he won't?" he asked.

_Oh he will_.

Back at the mansion, Ken wakes up to find himself alone in bedroom. "Where am I?" he wondered.

"At the home of Dr. Nexus," a voice said.

The spirit of David Nelson Robinson then appeared in front of him. "Are you a ghost?" he asked.

"Vaguely, my body maybe gone, but my spirit remains. Like you, I once bear the title of Dr. Nexus, the sorcerer mage of the Earth dimension," David answered.

"The helm said something about that when it melded with my head for the first time," he said.

"It does that for a while. Then I learned the secrets from my predecessors and I used those secrets to defeat my enemies," David said.

Ken then makes the helm appear. "There are so many questions I like to ask. Why me? I'm just a college student, not a hero," he cried.

"There's more to being a hero. To be a hero, you must have heart. This is something you have." David then senses something. "John Dee is heading this. You don't have much time," David said.

David then vanishes into thin air as Ken rushes downstairs outside the estate. Ben, Kevin and Nimbus then followed him outside.

"Hey, it's good to know that you're awake," Ben said.

"Now's not a good time. John Dee is heading this way," Ken said.

John breaks the defensive seals and enters the mansion. "That's impossible, David specifically put those seals to prevent fiends like you from entering the mansion," Nimbus said.

"At least he's considerate, even after death," John said.

"That's it; I'm going alien on this guy." Ben used the Ultimatrix to change into Terraspin. He goes in for the attack, but John halts him in his tracks. "This is impossible, this form is supposed to be immune to magic," Ben said.

"Smart move, but it doesn't work on all types of magic. Especially those that exist before time began," John said.

He uses his telekinesis to throw Ben to the wall. Kevin also tried to attack him, but John summons a compound out of the ground and binds him. Kevin suddenly gets sick due the exposure. I and Charmcaster arrived and I saw Kevin stricken.

"What did you do to him?" I asked.

"Black Matter, it's the only material that Osmosians can't absorb. What's worse is that it's poisonous to them. So he may not have much time left," John answered.

We both tried to attack him, but John summons an unusual sword and barely slices us with it. Charmcaster realises what's happened.

"That's the Orion Fin, a very powerful sword. It can absorb a user's mana energy," she said.

"Clever girl." He summons more binds to bind them. "But not clever enough. Now, where is Dr. Nexus?" John said.

"I'm right here," Ken said.

He summons the helm, puts it on and he becomes Dr. Nexus. "So you're the new bearer. Aren't you too young to be playing the role of the hero?" John asked.

"We'll see about that," Ken said.

He fires an energy blast from his hands and John blocks. John goes in for the attack, but Ken dodges it. "Not bad, for an amateur." John grabs him and throws him to the fountain. Ken gets up and John stops in his tracks. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. I hold all the cards here. All I want is simple; I want you to join us. Together, you, I and the Merciful Fate will rule this universe," John said.

_Listen to him; you know I'm a generous guy_.

"Who is that?" I asked.

"That's the Merciful Fate, John Dee's employer," Charmcaster answered.

_I can do anything; I can give you whatever you want_.

"Ken, don't listen to him. He's playing with you," I begged.

Ken goes in for the attack, but John counters it with an evasive manoeuvre. "You just made a costly mistake. If you want to see your sister again, come and find me in the Shadow Dimension. I'll be waiting," John said.

_Finally, the second seal is broken. It won't be long know until I'm free_. Ken was in shock as John abducts me, leaving Kevin, Charmcaster and Ben behind. They walked up to Ken as he stood there, helpless.

"Look at what you did, it's because of you, Gwen has been abducted by those two," Ben said.

"Ben," Charmcaster said.

"It's your fault she's kidnapped and it's your fault that Kevin has been poisoned. Hello, are you going to answer me?" Ben asked.

"Ken's traumatised by what he saw. It's not his fault." Charmcaster takes a look at Kevin. "Kevin is in bad shape, if we're lucky. We might save him. Nimbus, can you teleport Kevin into the mansion?" she asked.

"Of course," Nimbus answered. Minutes later in the healing room, Kevin lies there on the bed, healing from his injuries.

"We made it. At least we managed to get some of the Black Matter out of his veins. He just needs some rest," Charmcaster said.

"The Merciful Fate is one step closer to conquering Earth. We need a plan," Ben said.

"The only option is for us to go to the Shadow Dimension and confront the Merciful Fate," Nimbus said.

"That place is ten times worse than any dimension. Also, its home to a lot of dark magic, which makes it dangerous," she said.

"If we confront and defeat them. We may have a shot at ending this before it begins," he said.

"I hate to say, but you're right. But we need Dr. Nexus's help," Nimbus said.

"I'm sorry, but he's sitting this one out. He nearly put us in danger. Can you open a portal to the Shadow Dimension?" he asked.

Nimbus opens a portal to the Shadow Dimension. Ken then notices what they're doing. "What're you guys doing?" Ken yelled.

"We're sorry, but this is something we have to do?" Ben said.

They walked through the portal and it closes right behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

Two

Into The Shadows

We entered the Shadow Dimension, a dark and barren wasteland with no life in it. "We shouldn't dilly dallying for too long. The Merciful Fate isn't that far. Let's push on," Charmcaster said.

We began to explore the dimension. We noticed some old relics from the past. "Are you sure this dimension is made up entirely of dark magic?" I asked.

"It wasn't always like this, Ben. Before time began, it was nothing, just made out of anti-matter basically. Then one day, dark magic suddenly appeared and that's how the Shadow Dimension came to be," she answered.

"Besides the Merciful Fate, are there other denizens I should be aware of?" I asked.

"Just a few." A couple of demons jumped out of nowhere and were going in for the attack. But Charmcaster deflects them and banishes them. "Shadowlings, they're a parasite of the Shadow Dimension. If you get bitten by one of them, then you become one of them," she said.

"Thanks for the boost of confidence," I said.

Meanwhile back on Earth, Ken struggles with the fact that I didn't invite him along. He summons the helm and stares at it.

"I just don't understand. Why me of all people? Surely there must be someone worthy of this helmet than me?" he wonder.

The spirit of David Nelson Robinson arrives. "Even though I sense guilt within you, but there is potential within you. You come from a long line of heroes. Never forget that," David said.

"Ben and Gwen always wanted to play heroes, but not me. It's just not fair," he cried.

"Even I had some hardships. Let me show you," David said. He then transports himself and Ken back in time to when David first became Dr. Nexus.

"Is that you?" he asked.

"Yes, it was in 1939 when I was first introduced to the helm of Nexus and it changed my life forever. Then the Second World War came and allied myself with other heroes of that period to defeat the Axis Forces," David answered.

"That must've been rough," he said.

"It was, it was during that time I found love." He then transports them to 1944. "It was in 1944, when I met and married Marie Weston. After the war ended, we tried to settle down, but the forces of darkness never rest. Then tragedy struck," David said.

He then transports them to 1959. "When are we?" he asked.

"1959, a year I could never forget. John Dee was on the verge of starting a war between America and Russia. Unfortunately, he kidnapped Marie and my daughter, Katarina to prevent me from stopping them," David answered.

"Something did happen to them?" he asked.

"Yes, John did the unthinkable and murdered my wife just I stopped the warheads exploding onto Washington and Moscow. Katarina never forgave me for what had happened." They then transported back to the present. "You see, we all have our hardships. Even though I can't convince you to do the right thing, but I can ask you this. What would you do if your sister or cousin weren't around?" David asked.

He then vanishes into thin air, just as Kevin enters the room. "I'm fully recovered. Where's Ben, Gwen or Charmcaster for that matter?" Kevin asked.

"Gwen's been kidnapped by the Merciful Fate and Ben and Charmcaster went to the Shadow Dimension to rescue them," Ken answered.

"The Shadow Dimension, that place is nasty. What aren't you there?" he asked.

"Are you kidding, I'm a liability," Ken answered.

"Typical Ben Tennyson, I'm going in there after them and I need your help. I know you're feeling guilty after what happened. But feeling sorry doesn't solve anything, you need to move on. Deep down inside you there's a hero and there's a reason why the helm chosen you to become the next Dr. Nexus. What's it going to be?" he asked.

Back in the Shadow Dimension, we took a little break from travelling; I then noticed some ruins standing in front of us.

"What are those ruins?" I asked.

"They're what's left of an ancient civilisation. If I had to guess, it looks like the ruins belonged to the Light Gods," Charmcaster answered.

"The Light Gods?" I asked.

"Before time began, there were two civilisations, each were a polar opposite. The Light and Dark Gods of Old, those two civilisations were a earliest example of life. They contributed a lot to the universe and the Multiverse," she answered.

"The Multiverse?" I asked.

"The Multiverse is a collective term for parallel Earths. Each Earth is different and has different consequences. You been to a parallel Earth before, haven't you?" she asked.

"I have, but continue," I said.

"Then one day, the leader of the Dark Gods, Dark Sai saw what man would become. He envisioned that the Multiverse would be in disarray and that violence and greed would destroy the fabric of space and time. So he launched a pre-emptive strike against the Multiverse. His goal was to destroy the Multiverse and rebuild it in his own image. But the Light Gods and some of the new species rallied against him and the Dark Gods, thus began the Infinity War. The war lasted a thousand years. Dark Sai realised the war was at a stalemate, so he devised a plan. The Final Harmony, it involved using the magnetic and dark energies of Dark Genesis, their home world and turning it into a time bomb," she said.

"Something happened to the Light Gods?" I asked.

"When the Light Mother realised what Dark Sai was planning to do. She, along with some of the Light Gods sacrificed their planet, Light Heaven and themselves in order to save the Multiverse. Before his demise, an oracle prophesised the return of the Dark Gods and Dark Sai himself if the form of his heir, the one they will call Legion, otherwise known as the Heir Apparent. It is also prophesised that a band of heroes will defeat them and give rise to Era of Heroes. To this day, some of the Dark and Light Gods survived into this era," she answered.

"Now that's quite a story. We should keep moving, times a wasting," I said.

We made our way to the Merciful Fate's dominion. John Dee then shows up with Gwen as the hostage.

"Well now, I was hoping the good doctor would show up. So tell me, where is he?" John asked.

"I'm afraid the doctor is out, but you got us instead." I used the Ultimatrix to change Humungousaur. "Humungousaur! You're going to pay for abducting Gwen and for making Ken suffer," I said.

_On the contrary, human_. The Merciful Fate then enters my head. _I can manipulate any will I want. Charmcaster doesn't trust you, she's plotting to take Gwen, Ken and all your friends away from you. I can sense the darkness and you'll become my servant_.

He's controlling my mind and it hurts. "Ben, you can't let the Merciful Fate control you. You can fight it," Charmcaster said.

_I'm afraid he can't, how does it feel_?

"Like I was reborn," I said.

John then senses something. "The final seal is nearly broken. You are nearly free," John said.

_Excellent, I must take my leave_. _She's all yours, my servant_.

The Merciful Fate, John Dee and Gwen teleported to the portal's location. I fought Charmcaster while they got away. Kevin and Dr. Nexus arrived in time to see what's going.

"Okay, why's Ben fighting Charmcaster?" Kevin asked.

"The Merciful Fate must've corrupted Ben's will. But I can undo the damage, but I'm going to need a diversion," Dr. Nexus answered. Kevin joins in the fight, while Dr. Nexus prepares a spell to counter the Merciful Fate's corruption.

"I've waited a long time to kill you, Kevin. I would've done so back in Los Soledad, but Gwen interfere," I said.

Kevin then blocks my attack. "Will you listen to yourself. That's the Merciful Fate talking, not Ben Tennyson. Whatever you going to do, Ken, do it fast," he yelled

"I'm almost done, got it. This may sting a little," Dr. Nexus answered. He uses a light spell to expel the Merciful Fate's corruption from my soul. "What just happened?" I asked.

"The Merciful Fate corrupted your soul. Fortunately, I removed it using a Solaris spell that can expel any form of darkness," Dr. Nexus answered.

"I thought I told you to stay behind," I said.

"I know you mean well, but this something beyond your comprehension. I sense the final seal collapsing. We need to hurry." Dr. Nexus said. He then teleports us to where the portal and the Merciful Fate is about to enter Earth.

"Is that the portal?" I asked.

"Yes, the seal is in the midst of being undone. But there is still time," he answered.

"Time for you lot to disappear. It's over, you lost," John Dee said.

"No it's not," he said.

Dr. Nexus and John Dee then engaged themselves in a fight. "We got to help him," I said.

"We can't. This is a mystical battle, only Dr. Nexus can win this one. Come on, we need to free Gwen and figure out how to reseal the seals," Charmcaster said.

We rushed to Gwen, only to be ambushed by the Merciful Fate's personal guard. "Question, who are they?" Kevin asked.

"They're the Merciful Fate's personal guard. Be ready for a fight," she answered.

They went for the attack, but Kevin counters it and fights the guard. _I see the Doctor has restored you to your normal self. How did it feel to have your will corrupted_?

"Not a pleasant experience. But I will stop you," I said.

_You're just a boy with a watch. What can you possibly do to stop me_?

"This." I use the Ultimatrix to change into Terraspin. "Terraspin! You're going pay what you did to my family. Free Gwen, I'll deal with the Merciful Fate," I said. I went in for the attack, but the Merciful Fate deflects it.

_Didn't anyone tell you that I was born before the beginning of time_?

"Eh no," I answered.

_Well then, get ready to enter the world of pain_.

The creature attacked me as Charmcaster manages to free Gwen. "You took your time," she said.

"Yeah well, there were complications along the way. So, your cousin was there to help out where we needed it," Charmcaster said.

"Where is he?" she asked.

"Take a good guess," Charmcaster answered.

She then sees Dr. Nexus fighting John Dee. "That's it, I'm going in there to help him," she said.

"You can't, this is his fight now," Charmcaster said.

We watched as Dr. Nexus fought John Dee in a mystical duel. "I'm impressed, kid. I didn't expect you to master all your predecessors' spells so quickly," John said.

"It took some encouragement to realise that I do have a heart of a hero. This is for David Nelson Robinson," he said.

He fires an energy beam from his hands and at John Dee. It sent him flying into a column and he recovers quickly. "Not bad, kid. Now, let me show some real magic." He lands on the ground and uses a resurrection spell to bring two of his predecessors back to life. "You might recognise two of these faces," John said.

"What've you done?" he asked.

"Nothing really, I just brought back the recently deceased David Nelson Robinson and his predecessor Fabia Sacco." He then places his hands on their shoulders and uses a spell to control them. "I know its hard to accept, but your successor here was responsible for your resurrections, which violates one of the laws of magic," John said.

"Is this true?" Fabia asked.

"Now wait a minute. John is manipulating you, you've been corrupted by his dark magic," Dr. Nexus said.

"Then the helm has made a terrible mistake. It's time for us to teach you a lesson," David said.

The two were about to go in for the attack, only for Gwen to block it. "Gwen?" he asked.

"You're not alone, big brother. What do you say and teach John what a mistake it was bring them back?" she asked.

"I'm in, this could about to get bright. Be ready," he said. She kept them distract, while I carried on fighting the Merciful Fate.

_I'm impressed; you don't give up this easily. You're a stubborn one_.

The Ultimatrix then times out. "Yeah, it runs in the family," I said.

_Give up now and I may spare you_. I then ran over to Gwen and Dr. Nexus. _That's right, run to your family and show them that I defeated you_.

They managed to them as I ran over to them. Dr. Nexus then sends John Dee into a portal.

"Not bad for your first day on the job," I said.

"Almost, but it's not over. With John defeated and my predecessors laid to rest. That leaves the Merciful Fate and his personal guard," Dr. Nexus said.

"The personal guard won't be a problem again," Kevin said.

"That still leaves the big fish. How close he is to Earth?" I asked.

"Too close." Dr. Nexus then opens up a portal. "You lot need to go," he said.

"You can't be serious. We barely survived the last fight," Gwen said.

"I know you don't have a lot of faith in me, but you got to listen. As for now, the Merciful Fate's are entering Earth as I speak. I need you to be there to deal with them. Have a little faith, Gwen and you'll see," he said.

"We better get going. What about you?" I asked.

"Me? I got a matter to settle with the Merciful Fate. Now go!" he said.

He then uses a gravity spell to push us through the portal. _You're even brave or foolish, boy. Which is it_?

"Not foolish, but brave," he said.

Back on Earth, we arrived to find Bellwood in the midst of a demonic invasion. "Okay, this is something I'm not going to get use to," Kevin said.

"It's only temporary. Right now, our job is to keep these streets clear," Charmcaster said.

We fought the monsters until a white light appeared in the sky. Just like that, the monsters vanished. "Okay, what just happened?" I asked

"I can no longer sense the Merciful Fate or my brother. Either he's defeated the Merciful Fate or," Gwen answered.

"There's no need for that kind of thinking, Gwen. He'll make it," I said.

"Eh guys, I think we got a problem," Kevin said.

We turned around to find a squad of Special Projects agents standing in front of us, armed and ready to fire if need be. "Step away from the fugitive!" a Special Projects agent yelled.

Agent Walsh then walks up to us. "Stand down; I don't think Charmcaster will be a problem. Demonic monsters, interdimensional gods of old, some day at the office, huh," Agent Walsh said.

"I guess you read the dossier?" I asked.

"More or less, the rest was guesswork. I'll let Col. Moss know you lot did a good job. Have a pleasant evening," he said.

Just like that, he and the squad left. A month has passed since the Merciful Fate was defeated. I was doing some homework when Ben came by.

"Still no word, I checked with Carter and he says he hasn't spotted Dr. Nexus or Nimbus," I said.

"I just won't accept the fact that he's dead. If he was dead, then a new Dr. Nexus would emerge. My mother still thinks he's go on a road trip or something," Gwen said.

"At least its better finding out he's a part time superhero," I said.

We both head outside and looked up at the sky. "I miss him, I never got the chance to say I'm sorry. Nimbus was right all along, Ken does have the heart of a hero," she said.

"Oh I'm blushing," a mysterious voice said.

A burst of light appeared as Dr. Nexus and Nimbus walk on. He takes his helmet off and reverts back to Ken Tennyson.

"Ken," she yelled.

They both hug. "You sly dog. You've been gone for a month, where have you been?" I asked.

"I had to make sure that all the seals are locked. I used a sixty six thousand seal spell in order to imprison the Merciful Fate," Ken answered.

"That explains the burst of light we saw in the sky after we got back to Earth a month ago," Gwen said.

"You haven't called or e-mailed," I said.

"Sorry about that, I've been trying to restore balance since David's death that I forgot to check in. Hopefully, that shouldn't happen again," he said.

"So what'll you do now?" Gwen asked.

"Study, save the world a bit more, I don't know. I better get back to college; see you on the other side. And Ben, be careful, from this moment on, everything changes and watch the skies," he said.

Ken then puts the helmet back on and becomes Dr. Nexus. He then teleports himself back to college. At least everything's back normal or is it. Over in a house at Boston, Col. Eli Jameson Moss and Henry Walsh kick the door down.

"Tim Dean, where are you?" Eli yelled.

"Don't think he's here," Henry said.

"He's been here all right. For a brief moment, let's search the apartment for any clues," he said. Eli and Henry search the apartment for any clues leading to Tim Dean's whereabouts. Henry then found some sketches on the walls.

"These sketches were drawn recently. I recognise this one, this is from when Ben was exposed to the Eternity Pits," Henry said.

Eli picks up a sketch and shows it to Henry. "What do you make of this?" he asked.

"Hmm, that's Ben all right. As for the guy he's fighting. I don't recognise him," Henry answered.

"But I recognise the tattoos on his body. It's the language of the Dark Gods. It means Heir Apparent," he said.

"You think it's him, Dark Sai," he said.

"It's possible, given at the rate certain events are going. I want these sketches bagged and tagged. Maybe they can tell us more about their impending arrival." Eli's cell phone rang and he's answers it. "This is Col. Eli Jamieson Moss, go ahead Agent Tavistock," he said.

"I just received a call from our Californian branch. There's been a problem; there's been a spike in dark energy readings coming from the Gloucester Island Tablet. I'm already at the site, you and Henry need to get down here immediately," Carter said.

"Roger that." Eli then puts his cell phone away. "Pack everything up, we're going to California," he said.

The End?


End file.
